1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a call group pickup system and, more particularly, to a call group pickup system for enabling inter call-group call pickup in a multi-server communication network which allows either manual or automatic call pickup of any call to a group member by any group member station connected to any server in the network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that modern telephone systems are able to provide a wide variety of convenience features or supplementary services to enhance calling convenience and functionality. In particular, group pickup is a supplementary service often used by one member station of a group to answer or pick up telephone calls intended for or ringing at a different member station within the same call group. Such a service may be useful, for instance, where the intended call recipient has stepped away from the telephone or is generally not available to pick up the call, yet the call must still be answered. As such, any other member of the call group is able to pick up the call. Group call pickup is accomplished, generally, by dialing an access code or depressing a pickup/line key.
In known private/public telecommunications network/exchange (PTN/PTNX)-based networks and client-server based distributed telecommunications networks, telecommunications devices or stations connected to PTN/servers are interconnected by high speed and/or high bandwidth networks. Unfortunately, only vendor proprietary operation of local group pickup exists, wherein such group pickup is implemented only locally within one PTN/server. Thus, calls may not be picked up by group member stations that are connected to different servers in the network.
Furthermore, known group pickup systems also are unable to notify other available group members that a call group member's station is ringing. Typically, a group member uses a station to pick up a call only when the group member hears another group member station signaling (i.e. telephone ringing). However, in a noisy office environment or when a station has a turned down ringer, the group member may not know that another group member's station may be signaling. Furthermore, if group members are located remote from each other, such as in different offices or cities, hearing a device signaling is impossible.
Therefore, what is needed is a system for enabling notification to be sent to a group member station that a call is available for pick up and further for enabling a group member station to pick up calls from other group member stations from anywhere within a multiserver network, regardless of which server the station initiating the call is connected.